ACT: Affirm Compassion Together
As we advance our culture of Inclusive Excellence, affirming compassion together and creating a safe space for all is our collective responsibility - ACT now.
Simon Fraser University is committed to creating a diverse, equitable and inclusive community where all feel welcome, safe, accepted and valued — where community members know that their ideas, perspectives, identities and experiences are respected and appreciated.
WHAT DO WE MEAN BY COMPASSION?
Compassion can be defined as an understanding that all humans experience times of suffering. Connecting with others, recognizing and being ready and willing to help relieve suffering are the key tenets of compassion. Compassion is your reaction to alleviating your own and others' emotional, physical, mental or spiritual pain. It is a course of action.
Adapted from the Journal of Teaching and Learning Practices
WHAT DO WE MEAN BY TOGETHER?
By together, we mean that it is our individual and collective responsibility to uphold inclusive excellence and a community of care that accepts others whose actions, beliefs, physical capabilities, religion, customs, ethnicity, nationality and so on differ from one’s own. This is essential to upholding our SFU values, teaching and research mission where faculty, staff and students are encouraged to pursue hard questions. It is essential that we also have a fair and objective attitude toward points of view different from our own.
Adapted from the American Psychological Association
What does this look like at SFU?
Take part in creating a culture of Inclusive Excellence so that, together, we can achieve equitable outcomes for all who work, live, teach and learn at SFU.
Holding space for respectful conversations
SFU continues to support each other as an academic community to listen with empathy and to make space for difficult conversations as we navigate increasingly complex global events together. It is more important than ever that space is held for these conversations to take place, responsibly and respectfully, and that we defend the rights of students, faculty and staff to express their views with academic freedom and within the bonds of law.
SFU is being called on to lead—to model a way forward that is rooted in compassion and open dialogue.
Help with conversations
SFU’s EDI Community of Practice Guidelines are a resource to support respectful conversations, such as the suggestion to ‘speak from the I’ - Speak from your own position and experiences.
The SFU Communicators Language Guide also has helpful tips around inclusive language for conversations.
The Government of Canada also has a guide that can help support courageous conversations involving four steps:
- Understand the terminology first and have a shared understanding so that the quality of dialogue can be enhanced;
- Prepare for the conversation by considering our own layers, checking our assumptions and asking questions about inclusion;
- Start the conversation by using the BRAVE framework: Build, Respect, Acknowledge, Validate and Emphasize; and
- Successfully end the conversation for all. For example, express gratitude to all participants.
CULTIVATING A COMMUNITY OF CARE
We can all help in cultivating a community of care. For a guide on assisting colleagues in distress, visit here or for faculty and staff assisting students in distress, please find out more here.
PRACTICE SELF COMPASSION
We often forget that in giving compassion to others, we also need to show ourselves compassion. Some ways we can do so:
- Join a support group, either through the Multifaith Centre or through Health and Counselling Services.
- Mindfulness practice is also an impactful way to experience self-compassion.
Supports & Resources
SFU offers many supports and resources to help our community in affirming a community of compassion together:
If you need support
Please reach out and visit the community supports, identity-based supports and/or critical incident supports pages.
UNDERSTANDING RIGHTS, ACADEMIC FREEDOMS AND COMMUNITY EXPECTATIONS
Please review SFU’s GP 18 and GP 47 Policies; read the document on Educational Guides on Human Rights, Discrimination and Accommodations; and check out SFU’s six steps towards a culture of Inclusive Excellence .
HELPING TO PREVENT BULLYING AND HARASSMENT IN THE WORKPLACE
See the Respectful Workplace & Learning Environment Online Learning Module and find out more about Respectful Environment and Interrupting Implicit Bias work (Contact the Bullying & Harassment Hub or Equity Office). You can also look into the Respectful Environment and Consent workshop (Contact the Bullying & Harassment Hub or SVSPO)
CREATING A SAFE AND EQUITABLE SPACE FOR DIALOGUE AND ENGAGEMENT
Check out SFU Public Square’s Creating Safer Spaces: Facilitation, Intervention and Community Guidelines and the Centre for Dialogue’s Beyond Inclusion: Equity in Public Engagement
BUILDING KNOWLEDGE ON SFU's EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION WORK
Check out SFU’s strategic Equity Compass plan and SFU’s Anti-Racism webpage to learn more.
FOR INSTRUCTORS
Learn how you can further EDI work in the classroom through the Centre for Educational Excellence's Inclusive Teaching guide.
Thank you for your ACTions in creating a culture of compassion together here at SFU